Fireproof floor



J. H. SOUTHERN FIREPROOF FLOOR June 16, 1931.

Filed May 29, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 16, 1931.

J. H. SOUTHERN FIREPROOF FLOOR Filed May 29. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l' I Egg.

71/ I 21/ a. Q

Patented June 16, 1931 iam-a PATENT rice JOSEPH HEATON SOUTHERN, F REDCAB, ENGLAND nmnrnoor' FLOOR Application filed May 29, 1928, Serial No. 281,541, and in Great Britain August 13, 1927.

This invention relates to fireproof floors and has for its object to provide an improved method of constructing a floor of this type.

The method according to the present invention consists in disposing a plurality of hollow metal beams side by side over the whole area. of the floor space, and covering the assembly with concrete to form a unitary struc ture.

*0 The invention will be described by way of Fig. 9 is an end and part sectional elev'a tion of a convenient method and apparatus for pre-casting concrete or the like on to one side of the hollow beam or column;.and

Fig. 10 is a corresponding side elevation of the apparatus Fig. 11 is an isometric view corresponding to Figs. 9 and 10.

Referring to the drawings The hollow beam or column a (Fig. 1) is I made of metal in the form of a flanged trough, the aperture of which is closed by a plate I),

welded, bolted or otherwise secured thereto, so that the whole constitutes a box section beam or column. A plain or corrugated mesh 0 is fixed underneath the plate and serves to support the concrete fire proofing and plaster (Z on the underneath side (Fig. 2). The mesh 0 may be anything suitable such as expanded metal or welded wire fabric.

l/Vhen the beams a are used in the construction of a fioor and are placed in position across the end supports, channel sections 6 are formed which are filled in with concrete. It will be seen from Figs. 2 and 4; that the bottom plates 1) project slightly beyond the flanges of the trough, and this arrangement allows the concrete to seal finally the cavity between the flanges. 1

Plates f are welded to the sides of the troughs, near the ends so that concrete can be filled inbetween the plates and the end of the beam or column to hermetically seal and make the beam or column fire and rust proof, and a topping g of concrete is laid on the assembled beams when used in a floor.

If desired, or necessary,.the ends of the beams or columns may be cut back as shown by dotted lines it h, in Fig. 1, to allow of easy filling of concrete.

If concrete be used and the hollow steel beam is not of suflicient strength to carry the full load required for the floor and the like, additional steel may be embedded in the bottom, and or top of the concrete enabling the concrete beams, and the steel beams to carry any designed load by working either separately or in conjunction.

' In modifications of the invention the hol low beams or columns may be formed of two Z-section sides 2' i, and two flat plates 7), j, as shown in Fig. 5; or may be formed of two fiat side plates 70, is, two flat top and bottom plates 7', b, and four angle sections Z,Z, Z, Z, as shown in Fig. 6; or of a channel section m, a flat plate I), and two angle sections Z,'Z, which form the flanges of the beam or column, as shown in Fig. 7 or of two channel sections n, a, which form the narrower sides of-the beam or column, and two flat plates 6,3, as shown in Fig. 8; all welded, bolted or riveted together to form a boX section. In some cases the plate I) may be dispensed with as herein before described. Any other suitable arrangement of plates and various sections may be employed to form abox section beam or column without departing from the scope of the invention. 7

A'convenient method of pre-casting concrete on to the sides of the columns or beams is illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11; Therein, a is the beam or column. shuttering t is arranged around the edges of the beam to the required depth or the concrete covering, and is retained in position by clamps a which engage the flanges of the trough. Notches '0 are provided at intervals Steel or other in the edge of the shuttering t to allow the ends of the reinforcing mesh 0 to be passed therethrough and turned over the edges of the trough as shown in Fig. 11. Concrete is then placed on the face of the beam to the level of the shuttering t, and allowed to set, when the shuttering t and clamps u are removed,

By the use of the present invention fireclay tiles and their supporting members are dispensed with. Further, the troublesome operation known as centering becomes unnecessary, resulting in an economy in time in construction.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v 1. A hollow floor comprising a plurality of steel sl'lbstantially rectangular independent box like beams closed by end plates at each end disposed in parallel relationship and encased and hermetically sealed on all external surfaces with a concrete heat insulating and rust resisting covering WrIlCll also forms a continuous floor surface the beams being of such cross section number and disposition as to be capable unaided of carrying substantially the whole of the maximum load which the floor is required to carry.

2.v A hollow floor as claimed in claim 1 in which a supplementary hermetic seal to, the box like beams is provided by welding or brazing all seams.

3. A hollow floor as claimed in claim 1 in which the box like beams are formed by securing a suitable base plate to a beam of inverted trough form such base slate having lateral extensions which in the case of adja cent beams operate as distance pieces and are placed in abutment.

4.. A hollow floor comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular steel box like beams closed by end plates at each end disposed in parallel relationship and encased and hermetically sealed on all external surfaces with a concrete heat insulating and rust resisting covering which also forms a con.- tinuous floor surface the beams being of such cross section number and disposition as to be capable unaided of carrying at least the dead weight of construction of the completed floor.

5. A floor as claimed in claim 1 in which the effect on the added load carrying capacityof the concrete is small in relation to the load carrying capacity of the beams of the floor.

6. A hollow floor comprising a )lurality of steel substantially rectangular independent box-like beams closed by end plates at each end disposed in parallel relationship and encased and hermetically sealed on all external surfaces witha concrete heat insulating and rust resistingcovering which also, forms a continuous floor surface, the beams being of such cross section, number and disposition as to be capable unaided of carrying substantiab ly the whole of the maximum load which the floor is required to carry, the box-like beams each comprising a flat horizontal compression member, two vertical shear members and a horizontal tensile member extending beyond the shear members.

7. A hollow floor comprising a plurality of steel substantially rectangular independent box-like beams closed by end plates at each end disposed in parallel relationship and encased and hermetically seal-ed on all external surfaces with a concrete heat insulating and rust resisting covering which also forms a continuous floor surface, the beams being of such cross section, number and disposition as to be capable unaided. of carrying at least the dead weight of construct on of the completed floor, the box-like beams each comprising flat horizontal compression member, two vertical shear members and a horizontal tensile member extending beyond the shear members 8. In the art of making hollow floors comprlsing a plurality of steel substantially rectangular independent box-like beams, the step consisting in inverting the beam and precasting a layer of concrete on to the surface which is lowermost when the beam is in position.

In the art of. making hollow floors com prising a plurality of steel substantially rectangular independent box-like beams, the step consisting in inverting the beam, spreading wire mesh over the exposed surface, and precasting a layer of concrete on to the sur face which is lowermost when the beam in position.

10. Process of building hollow fireproof, rustproof floors consisting in utilizing meta-l box-shaped beam members having extendin flanges, to, support the load, inverting the beamsand casting on the base thereof a layer of concrete, placing the beams in parallel relationship with, abutting flanges over the area to be covered and hermetica ly scaling the beamsby pouring concrete over the re maining external surfaces thereof,

In testimony whereof, I my signature.

JOSEPH neu on SOUTHERI. 

